Rough Draft:

​

Literature Review



In the career field of graphic design there are multiple issues that affect experienced designers and design students alike. In addition to the tradition ideas of graphic design commonly thought of, new ideas are steadily pushing their way into the area currently known as graphic design. These ideas are sometimes lacking a “graphic” nature at all though. They may consist instead of multimedia, audio, and visual mediums that hardly use pictures or physical art of any kind. (Bonsiepe 1994, Poynor 2011). The challenge has become figuring out how to differentiate between different kinds of “graphic designers” since anyone can technically consider themselves a graphic designer. Since it is not a licensed field there are no clear guidelines as to what makes a graphic designer and whether different branches of graphic design formally exist.  (Bonsiepe 1994, Heller 2007). So what should be done to make these distinctions in the field? Obviously there are a number of very different approaches, all by the same name in this industry, and so far hardly any varying titles have been established. Without a more exact range of titles, how is anyone is the field expected to know what to call themselves in order to best represent what they specialize in? Here in lies a crucial conflict in the graphic design community, as experienced designers attempt to remain respected and new designers attempt to establish their talents.
In one article (Poynor 2011) a new direction some graphic designers are taking is questioned as it relates to individuals in the field. Poynor witnessed exhibits by students entering the graphic design industry, and the experience made him truly realize just how different modern approaches were compared to traditional graphic design. “Graphics” were no longer being incorporated at all in some cases. Instead the students used mediums such as theater, audio, and multimedia representation. How could this form of art even really be considered “graphic design” when it showed little to no resemblance to the traditional idea of the industry? This is the fundamental problem in the design field lately. Heller (2007) discusses in more depth the issue at hand. Because graphic design is not a licensed career field, there are no clear requirements about who or what is considered part of the graphic design society. If someone wants to say they are in fact a graphic designer, there are no requirements they need to meet first. This leads to more opportunity within the industry for change, whether good or bad. Some people in the graphic design community have attempted to label differing areas of graphic design, but most of these titles do not catch on or spread enough to make an impact. This issue covers more than just traditional versus modern graphic design ideals; even more traditional areas within graphic design have become misunderstood because of incorrect labeling. This lead to the attempt at the title of “information designer,” which did not catch on enough to be recognized in all areas. Students and teachers in the field, as well as individuals outside the professional realm, never became fully aware of the attempt at separating titles in the industry. 
The issue involving all these changes and differences within the graphic design community can have some pretty major consequences on the profession. While there may be informal titles floating around within the community, those outside the graphic design community are unaware of what is going on. They don’t know that the field is branching into multiple very different directions, or that there are so many separate areas currently existing in the field all sharing the same title. It is not enough to have these informal ideas mixed within the field when clients and employers are unaware. What is the point then? Sure one person may call themselves an “information designer,” but what does that matter when a client has no idea what that means?  It may be very important for them to realize that an information designer focuses more on the information, rhetoric, and organization than on the visual design. And clients should know when they hire a graphic designer whether they are looking for a modernist who works with audio and sensual materials, or a traditionalist who works with graphic materials. All these factors in the community that are becoming increasingly difficult to address directly impact anyone involved from the outside, and hardly anyone seems to recognize this issue. (Steiner 1999, Carliner 2001)
So what should designers do about this problem? People have tried to establish titles in the field to differentiate designers according to these differences and changes, but to no avail. Hardly any of these titles stick. The ones that do manage to stick are still misunderstood and misused, and through all of this everything fails to carry on to the world outside of the community. Graphic designers need to make some vital decisions about how to address this issue. Instead of focusing on the fact that these problems are building up as the field experiences change, these individuals need to start thinking about how to fix the current problems and prevent new ones from emerging as the industry evolves. This all starts with the installations of professional, understood titles in the field.  

Works Cited
Bonsiepe, Gui. "A Step Toward the Reinvention of Graphic Design." Design Issues 10.1 (1994): 47-52. Print.
Carliner, Saul. "Emerging Skills in Technical Communication: The Information Designer’s Place in a New Career Path for Technical Communicators." Technical Communication. 2nd ed. Vol. 48. N.p.: Society for Technical Communication, 2001. 156-75. Print.
Heller, Steven. “What Do We Call Ourselves Now?.” Eye (Croydon, England) 16.63 (2007):    77. OmniFile Full Text Mege (H.W. Wilson). Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Poynor, Rick. "A Report From The Place Formerly Known As Graphic Design." Print Magazine (New York, N.Y.) 65.5 (2011): 30-32. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 Sept. 2012.
Steiner, Vera. "How To Hire A Graphic Designer." Folio: The Magazine For Magazine Management 27.18 (1999): 171. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 21 Oct. 2012.